Power operated curved track folding door



J 15, 19 3 H. e. CRICK 3,073,383

POWER OPERATED CURVED TRACK FOLDING DOOR Filed Nov. 9, 1960 i I I u, I INVENTOR.

HOWARD Gannon Cmcx Flg 20 BY MMMSMri/M Unitd Stats 3,073,383 POWER OPERATED CURVED TRACK FOLDING DOQR Howard Gordon Crick, Indianapolis, Ind, assignor to Holcomb 8: Hoke Mfg. Co., Inc, lndianapoiis, End, a

corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 9, 1960, Ser. No. 68,222 1 Claim. (Cl. 160-193) This invention relates generally to an arrangement for moving an object through a curved path and finds an important utility as a door moving arrangement for a curved track, folding door installation.

It is frequently desirable to provide power means, automatic or otherwise, for opening and closing folding doors. Such power means can be designed to transmit the power from the prime mover to the folding door through cords or cables. However, when it is desired to construct a power operated door capable of moving through a curved path, it can be appreciated that difliculties are presented because cords and cables cannot conveniently be guided through a curved path. Also, if pulleys are used to guide the power transmitting cord through a curved path, such pulleys tend to obstruct the movement of the door. For these reasons, an improved arrangement for moving a folding door through a curved path is needed and desired.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved power operated arrangement for opening and closing a folding door in a curved track installation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for moving any object through a curved path.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a device for moving the lead post of a folding door precisely through any desired curve.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device including cords riding on pulleys for moving a folding door through a curved path and including means for preventing movement of the door from being interfered with by the pulleys.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention includes a curved trackway which is fixed with relation to a ceiling Or the like and supports a folding door for movement along the trackway. A plurality of pulleys are each rotatably secured with relation to the ceiling at spaced intervals along the concave side of the trackway. The pulleys are adjacent to but spaced from the trackway and are each rotatable about a vertical axis. Received tautly against the pulleys and fixed to the door is a cord which is located on the side of the pulleys facing the trackway. A roller is rotatably mounted -upon the folding door and is positioned on the other side of the trackway. The roller acts to guide the door and to hold the door away from each pulley when the point of attachment of the cord and door is directly adjacent each pulley so that there is no interference with the door as it moves past each pulley.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claim.

'FIG. 1 is a perspective fragmentary view of a curved track folding door installation incorporating the power operated, door moving arrangement of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the struc- 3,@?3,i33 Patented Jan. 15, 1%53 ture illustrated in FIG. 2, taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 with unnecessary parts omitted.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, refernece will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated a folding door installation incorporating a curved elongated container or housing ll of generally rectangular C-shaped cross section which is received within the ceiling 9 above the area or opening 8 intended to be opened and closed by the folding door, this opening being bounded on its sides by the jambs 7. Fixed to the base of and received within the container It} is a curved, downwardly opening member 11 formed to provide a pair of horizontally extending curved trackways 12. The trackways receive a plurality of two-wheeled trolleys 13 which are mounted along the upper edge of a folding door 15 which may be of any conventional type.

One vertical end portion 15A of the door is fixed in place to a jamb 7 at one side of the opening 8 and the other vertical end portion has secured thereto a lead post 16. In order to open and close the door, the lead post 16 is moved toward and away from the fixed vertical end portion of the door and along the curved path defined by the element 11. At the other side of the opening from the fixed vertical end portion of the door is located a pulley mounting element 17 which is fixed in place to the jamb 7 and has rotatably mounted thereon a pair of pulleys 2t) juxtaposed and rotatable about parallel vertical axes.

Received upon and guided by the pulleys 20 is a continuous or closed cord or cable 21 which extends between the pulleys 20 and around one of the pulleys into the container it). Because the cord is in a continuous closed loop, there are two portions of the cord extending in sideby-side relation into the container.

A plurality of pulleys 22 are rotatably mounted, two on a shaft, upon a plurality of shafts 23 each of which are secured to one of a plurality of mounting brackets 24 which are fixed to the container it} and fixed with relation to the ceiling 9. The pulleys 27; are equally spaced around the concave side 25 of the curved element 11 and are each spaced at certain distance from the element 11 and from the inside wall of the container 1% One of the sideby-side portions of the cord is secured to the door in a manner to be described. Both portions of the cord are received in a generally tau-t condition against the concave peripheries of pulleys 22, one portion in the upper pulley of each pair of pulleys and the other portion in the lower pulley. From the pulleys 22, the cord extends over a pair of pulleys 2.7 (which are mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis) and downwardly between idler pulleys 28 to and around a pulley 29 driven by a reversible electric motor 3%.

Secured to the upper end of the lead post 16 is a T- shaped element 31 which has a horizontal aperture 32 extending through one arm A thereof. A set screw 33 is threadedly received Within the element 31 and may be tightened against the ends 35 of the cord 21. When the cord 21 is properly tightened by means of the set screw 33, the cord will-be taut against each of the pulleys and especially against the pulleys 22, yet will not engage or contact the curved element 11 or the housing lltl. Ro-

a tatably mounted about a vertical axis on the other arm of T-shaped element 31 is a guide roller 36 which normally engages the outside convex wall 37 of the curved element 11. This outside wall has the shape of the path desired for the lead post 16.

In order to operate the present device, the reversible electric motor 30 is turned on causing the pulley 29 to rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. As the pulley 29 rotates, the cord 21 is moved across the pulleys 22. As mentioned above, the ends 35 of the cord are secured to the T-shaped element 31. As this element moves adjacent to and passes each of the pulleys 22, the roller 36 prevents the element 31 from engaging the pulleys 22 whereby the movement of the door is not interfered with.

In other words, the roller 36 engages the outer wall 37 of the curved element 11 at all times and this outer wall acts as a camming or guiding surface determining the path of the lead post 16. This path is so determined that the element 31 does not engage the various pulleys 22. It can be appreciated that the tautness of the cord 21 acts to hold the roller 36 against the outside surface 37 of the curved element. Referring to FIG. 3, the usual position of the cord 21 in taut engagement with the pulley 22 is shown in dotted lines and the action of the T-shaped element 31 moving by the particular pulley is shown in solid lines.

From the above description, it can be understood that the present invention provides an improved power operated arrangement for opening and closing a curved track, folding door installation. It can also be appreciated that the present invention provides a power operated device including cords riding on pulleys and moving a folding door through a curved path, yet also provides means for preventing the movement of the door from being interfered with by engagement of the door with the pulleys. It can also be seen that the present invention provides a device for moving the lead post of a folding door precisely through any desired curved path.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

A door moving arrangement comprising an elongated downwardly opening container capable of being rigidly supported above a door opening, a curved inverted channel-shaped horizontal trackway received in said container and fixed to the upper portion thereof, a door, a plurality of trolleys movably engaging said trackway, said trolleys being connected to and supporting said door as they engage said trackway, a plurality of spaced brackets secured to the upper portion of said container on the concave side of said trackway, a pair of horizontally rotatable pulleys mounted on each of said brackets and spaced a predetermined distance from the concave side of said trackway, a single cord, a cord securing element rigidly attached to the leading edge of said door, said cord securing element having an aperture receiving the ends of said cord, means on said securing element operable to fasten the ends of said cord within said cord securing element to form an endless cord, said cord passing around fixed supports to form two runs of the cord adjacent said trackway, said cord runs each engaging a particular series of said bracket supported pairs of horizontally rotating pulleys on the sides thereof adjacent said trackway, said fixed supports being so located to position the cord runs tautly against the pulleys they engage, a horizontally rotatable roller mounted on said cord securing element engaging the side of said trackway opposite to said spaced brackets, said aperture being spaced from said pairs of bracket pulleys and disposed intermediate said pairs of bracket pulleys and said horizontal trackway engaging roller whereby said horizontal trackway engaging roller maintains said cord securing element in a position such that the cord and its connected ends are disengaged from one of said pulleys in one of said pairs of bracket pulleys as the cord securing element moves by a particular pair of pulleys, said horizontal trackway engaging roller thereby preventing any interference between said cord securing element and said pairs of pulleys during operation of said door, and power means for moving said cord along said pairs of pulleys to operate said door as desired.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,043,492 Werner et a1. Nov. 5, 1912 1,426,170 Frantz Aug. 15, 1922 1,868,233 Hungerford July 19, 1932 2,920,696 Mitchell et a1. Jan. 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 391,881 France May 23, 1908 688,971 Great Britain Mar. 18, 1953 

